Mosquito Surveillance

Mosquito Surveillance Program

Since the late 1970's, the Scott County Health Department has been a participant in Iowa State University's mosquito surveillance program. The goal of the program is to monitor mosquito activity throughout the State. This monitoring serves as an early warning system for the presence of mosquito-borne encephalitis in communities.

Mosquito Surveillance

In order to monitor the mosquito population, light traps that operate 7 days a week from dawn to dusk are placed in four locations throughout Scott County. Monday through Friday, Health Department staff collects the mosquitoes from the traps and then they are sent to Iowa State University for counting and identification. At times, additional techniques are used to trap mosquitoes for identification.

Dead or dying crows and blue jays testing positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV) can be the first indicator that WNV is present in the area. As part of surveillance activities Scott County Health Department collected dead birds for testing from the years 2001 to 2005. The Health Department will no longer be collecting dead birds because the virus is known to be in the area

If you discover a dead crow or blue jay simply dispose of the bird using the attached guidelines:

Avoid contacting any dead bird or animal with your bare hands. Pick up the bird using a shovel, disposable gloves, or a plastic bag.

Double bag the bird carcass.

The carcass may then be placed in your regular trash for garbage removal.

Wash your hands immediately after disposal using soap and warm water.

There is no evidence that WNV can be transferred by handling dead birds. However, proper handling of any dead animal is necessary to reduce the possibility of any health risk.

Control and Prevention

If the count and blood samples from the chickens indicate a cause for concern, the Iowa Department of Public Health may decide to issue a warning to residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes. One of the best and most effective ways to prevent mosquito bites is personal protection and the elimination of mosquito breeding grounds. To find out what you need to do to protect yourself please visit the following link.

News & Notices

Join Director/Naturalist Dave Murcia for an adventure with canoes and kayaks. Whether you are a beginner or regular paddler, come out to learn basics. Program includes all equipment use, covers safety, techniques, and taking a tour of Pride Lake. You may bring your own vessel/PFD, though it must...

PRESS RELEASE May 18, 2018 RE: Summer Food Safety As the warm weather months are filled with family outings, vacations, and cookouts, the Scott County Health Department would like to remind everyone to follow some simple but important food safety practices to avoid illness. To protect yourself,...

The tax sale will be held at 8:30 am on Monday, June 18, 2018 in the Scott County Board Room at the Scott County Administrative Center located at 600 W. 4th Street, Davenport, Iowa. Pre-registration required. Tax Sale Information